Material lifting device



1965 J. FLOROS ETAL 3,198,566

MATERIAL LIFTING DEVICE Filed July 17, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGS s @g FQNKENSTORS 77mm 0005 M I 21% 75 MJAL Fla-8 H67 57 emf/M United States Patent 3,198,566 MATERIAL LIFTING DEVICE James Flores, William F. Sosey, and Alfred T. Mitchell, Erie, Pa., assignors to Eriez Manufacturing Co., Erie, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed July 17, 1963, Ser. No. 295,751 6 Claims. (Cl. 2465.5)

This invention relates to material handling devices and more particularly, to devices for lifting a plurality of individual members each made of magnetic material.

The magnetic device disclosed herein has been designed to facilitate the unstacking and stacking of layers of filled and unfilled cans and canned products of many shapes and sizes.

It is accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide a means for automatically lifting and loading a row or rows of cans or other similar shaped objects to or from cookers, pallets, conveyors, and other similar mechanical conveyances.

Another object of this invention is to automatically unload or depalletize cans from conveyances or pallets into cartons or other single or multiple layer containers.

Still another object of this invention is to lift the cans with a permanent or electro magnet, using a unique checkerboard or parallel polarity arrangement consisting of north and south magnetic poles to provide a constant, uniform, magnetic strength for lifting each and every can in the layer.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a means to properly. cycle the magnets off and on as required in such a manner that the magnets are positioned correctly for the lifting of cans and properly positioned to permit lowering the cans to another selected location without damage to the product or containers.

A further object of the invention is to provide a material handling device which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and simple and eificient in operation.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a material handling device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partial top view of another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is an end view of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the device shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a bottom view;

FIG. 8 is a side view of another embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 8.

Now with more particular reference to the drawings, FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 show a frame 1 which may be made of suitable structural steel fabrication. The frame 1 is shown by way of example as made of channels as shown on the outside which are fixed together at their ends to form the corners. These channels may be sup ported or transported in any suitable manner.

3,198,566 Patented Aug. 3, 1965 A drive assembly 3 is supported on a magnetic platen 7 by means of the transverse frame structure. The drive assembly 3 may be in the form of a gear motor connected to sprockets 25 by a suitable sprocket chain.

A stainless steel (non-magnetic) pusher plate 26 is welded to the frame 1 and has stiffeners 27 fixed thereto and extending up into laterally extending channels between the permanent magnets of the magnet platen 7. Angle irons 28 are fixed to the frame 1 and extend over the top thereof and have downwardly extending pins 29 fixed thereto. These pins are slidably received in guide members 13 which are, in turn, fixed to the magnetic platen.

The magnetic platen 7 has a rigid frame 18 with cam follower supports 5 fixed at its four corners. The cam follower supports 5 have follower member 5' which extend over top of cams 9. The cams 9 are fixed to cam shafts 8. The cam shafts 8 are journalled in brackets 13 which are, in turn, fixed to the frame 1.

In operation, the drive assembly 3 will be rotated so that the cams 9 will lower the magnetic frame 18. This will bring the pole faces of the permanent magnets to a position adjacent the stainless steel pusher plate 26. The entire device will then be lifted by means of a crane or the like to bring it over the devices to be lifted which may be individual tin cans or other articles made of magnetic material. The device, along with the cams held thereto by the magnets, will then be carried to the proper repository and the drive assembly 3 will then again rotate the cam shafts 8 to cause the cams 9 to lift the magnets away from the pusher plate 26. The movement of the magnets from the pusher plate 26 will ordinarily be a distance of, for example, two and one-half inches or a distance sulficient that the magnetic field through the parts will be sutficiently weak to cause the parts to drop away from the pusher plate 26.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, a frame 101 is shown suitable to be carried on a track by wheels 102. A magnetic frame 118 may be of the permanent horseshoe type as in the assembly shown in FIG. 1. The frame 118 may be raised or lowered by hydraulic cylinders 109 which may be actuated by a suitable hydraulic fluid through pipes 112 and 120. Thus, the magnetic frame 118 may be lifted from a stainless steel pusher plate 126 so that articles attracted to the magnets will be forced from the frame in the same manner as in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 shows a magnetic member which could be substituted for the horseshoe type magnet assembly shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3. This member has a plate 218 having spaced cylindrical magnets 219 fixed thereto. The magnets 219 may be in the form of cylindrical ceramic magnets or any other suitable type of magnet. The magnets may be fastened to the plate 218 by adhesive or the like. The magnets would have the polarity in dicated so that their polarities are accumulative and the steel plate 218 acts as a pole plate for the magnets.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but it is capable of modification within a range of equivalents without departing from the invention which is to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A material handling device comprising a magnetic member having a plurality of spaced magnets with pole pieces attached thereto with one side thereof disposed in a plane,

a non-magnetic pusher plate attached to said device and adapted to engage work to be handled,

means to move said magnetic member into proximity to said pusher plate whereby magnetic fields from said magnets attract said work and hold it against said pusher plate,

means to move said magnetic member away from said pusher plate whereby said magnets are moved away from said work,

said means to move said pole pieces comprising a frame attached to said pusher plate,

spaced cam members on each side of said frame adjacent the outside edges thereof,

follower members on said magnetic member,

and means mounted on said frame and arranged to rotate said cam members whereby said magnetic member is moved by said cam members.

2. The device recited in claim 1 wherein guide members are provided on said frame .at spaced positions thereon for guiding said magnetic member up and down.

3. The device recited in claim 2 wherein said magnetic member comprises a plurality of horse shoe type permanent magnets disposed with their pole faces adjacent said pusher plate,

the polarity of said horseshoe magnets being such that like poles are adjacent each other.

4. The device recited in claim 3 wherein said magnetic member comprises a plurality of horseshoe type permanent magnets disposed with their pole faces adjacent said pusher plate,

the polarity of said horseshoe magnets being such that unlike poles are adjacent each other.

5., The device recited in claim 2 wherein said magnetic member comprises a sheet of magnetic material,

and cylindrical type permanent magnets attached to said sheet,

each said magnet having one pole adjacent said sheet and one adjacent the opposite end thereof,

the distal ends of said magnets being disposed in a plane,

the polarity of said magnets being such that each distal end of each said magnet is of opposite polarity to the magnet adjacent thereto.

6. A material handling device comprising a rectangular frame open at one side having a plate made of non-magnetic material defining a closure for one side of said open frame,

a magnetic platen in said open frame,

a shaft at each end of said frame,

a cam on each said shaft,

a follower on each end of said platen,

spaced horseshoe type magnets attached to said platen and having poles terminating adjacent said plate,

angle members attached to said plate and extending between said magnets,

pins attached to said frame at each side,

sleeves attached to said platen and receiving said pins guiding said platen up and down,

and springs on said pins engaging said platen and said frame urging said platen downwardly on said frame.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,613,980 10/52 Hawkins 294--65.5 2,615,746 10/52 Fischer 29465.5 2,906,554 9/59 Sjostrom 294-655 3,079,191 2/63 Engelsted 294-655 SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner.

35 ERNEST A. FALLER, IR., Examiner. 

1. A MATERIAL HANDLNG DEVICE COMPRISNG A MAGNETIC MEMBER HAVING A PLURALITY OF SPACED MAGNETS WITH POLE PIECES ATTACHED THERETO WITH ONE SIDE THEREOF DISPOSED IN A PLANE, A NON-MAGNETIC PUSHER PLATE ATTACHED TO SAID DEVICE AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE WORK TO BE HANDLED, MEANS TO MOVE SAID MAGNETIC MEMBER INTO PROXIMITY TO SAID PUSHER PLATE WHEREBY MAGNETIC FIELDS FROM SAID MAGNETICS ATTRACT SAID WORK AND HOLD IT AGAINST SAID PUSHER PLATE, MEANS TO MOVE SAID MAGNETIC MEMBER AWAY FROM SAID PUSHER PLATE WHEREBY SAID MAGNETIC ARE MOVED AWAY FROM SAID WORK, SAID MEANS TO MOVE SAID POLE PIECES COMPRISING A FRAME ATTACHED TO SAID PUSHER PLATE, SPACED CAM MEMBERS ON EACH SIDE OF SAID FRAME ADJACENT THE OUTSIDE EDGES THEREOF, FOLLOWER MEMBERS ON SAID MAGNETIC MEMBER, AND MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID FRAM AND ARRANGED TO ROTATE SAID CAM MEMBERS WHEREBY SAID MAGNETIC MEMBER IS MOVED BY SAID CAM MEMBERS. 